Page 47 of Sun, Moon & Shadow (Fate of Aemoria #1)

The tunnel cut through the mountain itself.

Callan and Lucan needed their horses for the journey, so they took the long way around.

Roughly an hour passed with them guiding their steeds over the rocky terrain, galloping when they could, before they reached the point where the passageway terminated at the base on the far side of the mountain.

Both males dismounted and crouched close to the ground, surveying the scuffs and footprints in the dense black sand.

“She was still going willingly at this point,” Lucan noted, pointing to the sweeping marks made by the train of her nightgown. “He hadn’t thrown her over his shoulder yet.”

Callan tensed at the image. “What did Nox mean?” he asked abruptly. “When he said Nova is important to you?”

Lucan’s face contorted for an instant, as if he’d never heard a more ridiculous question, then understanding washed over his features.

“It’s not what you think.” He chuckled but choked on the sound and cleared his throat instead. Callan was far from laughing. Lucan paused thoughtfully before continuing.

“Nova reminds me of myself. She’s lonely. Angry. She wants to connect, but she’s afraid to trust. I can tell she’s been hurt. I want to see her overcome that. To rise above it and learn how to live with it. That’s all.” He held his palms out in front of him.

Callan nodded. Nova had shared some of the painful details of her past. The desperate urge to shield her and take away her pain consumed him, transforming into a physical ache in his chest. He rubbed a fist uselessly over his armor directly above his heart.

Lucan rose to his feet and pointed at a spot far off in the distance.

“They went north,” he said, heading for his gray stallion. “I’d recognize the reek of her anywhere.”

Lucan stopped short before he reached his horse, glancing over his shoulder at Callan.

“Sorry,” Lucan added, a bit sheepishly. “I’m sure you like it.”

Callan couldn’t help the brief smile that flitted across his face as he mounted up next to the odd commander, the two of them taking off, chasing Nova’s trail.

Several grueling hours passed as they rode on through rainstorms rolling across the barren landscape.

At last, they reached the base of a small hill with a ruined temple at the summit.

Callan dropped down from the saddle, allowing Frost to wander, and started up the hill directly in front of them.

Lucan circled around the base to inspect the far side.

The plentiful tracks preserved on the wet ground told Callan a strange story under the light of the moonstone Lucan had given him.

Roughly halfway up the incline, Callan discovered signs of a struggle.

A sizable body, likely that of male, had lain on the ground, his large boots carving grooves into the damp sand as he fought for purchase.

He’d been overtaken by at least two males, based on the size and number of the boot prints.

Callan continued up the slope, following a single set of tracks to the top.

No statues or markings indicated which deity the temple honored.

The most likely patron was the moon goddess Orika, but the structure was ruined.

A crumbling stone archway still stood, inlaid with a large, round obsidian, the glassy surface cracked like a shattered black mirror.

How could a temple be left to fall into such disrepair?

Callan stepped carefully over a collapsed rock wall and crouched on the opposite side.

Leaning in close to the wet gray stone, he immediately detected the faint scent of Nova’s fear.

Impressions from her hands and knees were clearly visible on the ground.

He rose to his full height, noting the indentations likely made by her heels as she was dragged backward.

A single pale pink slipper lay abandoned in the center of the ruins, the toe stained with several drops of blood.

Callan squatted and picked up the shoe, cradling it gingerly in one hand.

Lucan entered the ruins from the northern side and stood over him, not speaking.

“It’s not much,” Callan murmured, holding up the slipper, the blood standing out starkly against pink silk. “But it’s hers.”

Callan swallowed the bitter taste of his dread, burying it so he could focus on finding her.

“It’s not enough for a serious injury,” Lucan reassured him. “A broken nose. Maybe a split lip. It’ll be healed by this time tomorrow.”

Callan appreciated his hopeful tone and made a low grunt of agreement, discreetly scrubbing his sleeve over his eyes to wipe away the tears that had gathered in his eyelashes.

“Did you find anything?” He lifted his head in the direction from which Lucan had come.

“A group was gathered there on horseback. Four mounts. Only hoof and boot prints. No bare feet. Someone must have carried her.”

Callan stood and ran a hand roughly over his face, scratching at the stubble on his jaw.

“Someone—a male—was attacked by two others halfway down the hill. General Idrian, I assume. A third must have approached from behind, taking Nova by surprise,” Callan said, thinking out loud. “It doesn’t make sense. If Idrian planned the abduction, who attacked him, and why?”

“You’re right. It doesn’t make sense,” Lucan agreed, shaking his head slowly, amber eyes fixed on Nova’s bloodstained slipper.

“Which way did the horses go?” Callan walked to a collapsed section of wall facing north, surveying the circle of hoofprints below.

“North. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re taking her to Schadwen Mountain.

” He pointed at the jagged black peak rising out of the horizon.

“The Gloaming Sea sits on the other side. There’s a cave system beneath the mountain.

A good spot for anyone looking to hide out for a bit of rest before heading on to their final destination, wherever it may be. ”

“It’ll be dawn before long.” Callan shot a brief look at the sky. “I’ve never staged an ambush in broad daylight before.”

“You’re in Lunar territory,” Lucan reminded him with a half-hearted smile. “They’ll be bedding down at dawn. Besides, it’ll be dark in the caves no matter the hour.”

Callan nodded in silent agreement. He followed Lucan down the hill to where their horses drank from a splintered bucket beside a crumbling well.

Callan hoisted himself into the saddle on Frost’s broad back, looking east where the sun would soon be rising.

Everyone has to rest eventually , he told himself.

Catching Nova’s abductors while they slept in a few hours would be their best opportunity to strike. He only hoped they weren’t too late.